JP2003512253A - Airplane and airplane control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The aircraft comprises a central cabin (1), which is located in the center of a circular wing (3). Several pivotal electric drive units (102-112) are arranged in a gap between the central cabin and the circular ring. In hover flight, the drive units are pivoted to generate a lift. When the aircraft goes into cruise flight, the drive units are pivoted to generate a forward thrust. Attitude and movements of the aircraft can be controlled by individual or common adjustment of the thrust and pivot angle of the drive units. Due to its simple design, the aircraft is economic and safe in operation. Still it has a high payload for its size.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Cross-reference of related applications]

This application is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all its disclosures, 1999.
Swiss Patent Application Nos. 1959/99 and 1 filed on October 26, 2010
It claims priority to US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 475,325 filed December 30, 999.

[0002]

【Technical field】

The present invention relates to an airplane and a method of operating the same, and more particularly to an airplane including an electric drive motor.

[0003]

[Background technology]

Modern airplanes must combine a high degree of safety with economic efficiency. Furthermore, these airplanes must be adaptable to different applications.

A very versatile idea is provided by an airplane of the VTOL type, for example as disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,419,514. Various designs have been proposed in the field, but none, especially in terms of safety and efficiency, result in an aircraft that meets the requirements of modern commercial flight.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the problem to be solved is to provide an aircraft and a method of operating the aircraft that offers a high degree of safety and economic efficiency.

This object is achieved by the independent claims. According to the invention, the driving force is generated by the combustion engine driving the generator. The power from the generator is used by the electrically operated device to generate the lift and forward thrust of the aircraft. This combines a good ratio of combustion engine weight to energy storage with the reliability and quick response of electric motors.
Since the engine drives only the generator, its operating parameters are less variable than conventional aircraft engines, which results in fewer drawbacks and improved efficiency.

Some or preferably all of the drives can be pivoted individually and their thrust can be adjusted according to demand. Since these devices use an electric motor and no combustion engine, their pivoting action does not impair their reliable operation.
The drive can be pivoted from a vertical position to a horizontal position. In this vertical position, the drive produces lift that sustains the airplane in an aerial stop flight condition.
In the horizontal position, these drives generate forward thrust for the airplane to cruise.

The drive device is preferably designed to be a ducted fan with at least one fan or impeller arranged in a tubular housing. Such ducted fans reach extremely high flow velocities and generate low noise levels.

The circular arrangement of the drives provides a particularly stable and easy-to-control configuration. Preferably, the aircraft comprises a central cabin and circular wings arranged around the cabin. The drive device is arranged between the cabin and the circular wing. A highly symmetrical design is preferred and a space is provided between the central cabin and the circular wings to receive the drive, since such an aircraft can be assembled from a few simple units.

In its horizontal position, the thrust axis of the drive is arranged around the central plane of the circular wing, which increases the air flow and lift on its surface. Preferably, at least five drives are used, since when only four drives are used, one of which would fail would result in an uncontrollable configuration in most situations.

Further, it is preferable that the driving device is arranged in a circular shape instead of a linear shape,
This is because such a circular arrangement allows safe control of pitch and roll movements. This is especially important during the transition from aerial flight to cruise flight, where significant pitch motion must be compensated.

[0012] Airplanes can be operated in aerial and cruise flights. During an airborne flight, the drive is pivoted downwards to generate lift to keep the aircraft in the air. During cruise flight, the drive is pivoted rearward to generate forward thrust, where lift is dynamically generated by the profile of the fuselage.

The attitude of the aircraft, ie its pitch, roll and yaw, can be controlled by pivoting the drive and adjusting its thrust. The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description.

[0014]   The description is given with respect to the following figures.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The basic design of one preferred embodiment of an airplane is illustrated in Figures 1-3. This design comprises an elongated central cabin 1 arranged centrally in a central disc 2. Circular wings 3 are arranged concentrically around the central disc 2. A ring-shaped cavity 4 is arranged concentrically with and around the central disc 2 and the cabin 1. Radial spokes 5 extend through the air gap 4.
Twelve drives 101 to 112 are arranged between the spokes 5 along the inside of the central wing 3. The design and function of these drives will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this embodiment of the airplane provides space for two pilots and six passengers. The cabin 1 further provides a field for control controls 10 and entrance 11. 4 mounted on cabin 1
Two extendable legs 12 are used for parking and taxiing.

Two combustion engines 14 are arranged on the central disk 2 in the lateral direction of the cabin 1, each of which drives a generator 15. The generator 15 provides electric power to be supplied to the electrically driven driving devices 101 to 112. The engine 14 and generator 15 are sized to provide sufficient power to safely land in the event of failure of one engine or generator.

Each of the drives includes an electric ducted fan having an impeller or ventilator 20 and an electric motor. The impeller or fan 20 is coaxially arranged in a tubular duct 22. The duct 22 has two arms 24, 25.
Mounted pivotably between. The pivotable position of the ducted fan is
It is controlled by an electric actuator within a range of 90 ° or more. In particular, the drive is pivotable from the horizontal position shown in FIG. 1, which produces forward thrust for the aircraft, to the vertical position, FIG. 2, which produces upward thrust.

As mentioned above, all drives are powered by the generator 15, and the power of each of the drives is individually controlled by the control device 29 shown schematically. The control device 29 can also individually control the pivot position of each drive device. All control signals required for this purpose are calculated from the pilot's flight commands. Pilots do not have to worry about adjusting individual components, they simply
It is sufficient to indicate the parameters of interest to the pilot regarding the pitch, yaw and speed of his plane.

The aircraft can be operated in aerial suspension and cruise flights, and
The plane can safely handle the transition between these two states. During flight in the air-stopped state and at the time of start-up and landing, the driving devices 101 to 112
Are pivoted, so that these drives generate a downwardly directed air jet 30. This corresponds to the position shown in FIG. The lift thus generated is sufficient to keep the fully loaded and tanked airplane in aerial suspension.

The attitude and displacement of the airplane in flight in the air stopped state are determined by the driving devices 101 to 1
It can be adjusted by the power and pivot angle of 12. To adjust the lift, the power of all drives can be increased or decreased simultaneously.

Controlling airplane roll by reducing or increasing the power of the lateral drives 103, 104, 109, 110 to drive the forward and reverse drives 101, 112, 1
It is preferred to control pitch by reducing or increasing the power of 06, 107 and yaw by pivoting lateral drives 103, 104, 109, 110 in opposite directions.

The lateral offset of the aircraft can be realized by reducing the thrust of the drive on one side, which results in a slight roll which results in a slight lateral thrust.

Forward and backward movements of the airplane can be controlled, for example, by tilting all the drive devices. During high speed cruise flight, all drives are placed parallel to the direction of flight F, as shown in FIG. 1, thereby producing a rearwardly directed air jet, thereby providing forward motion. It is preferable to generate thrust. Lift is generated by the aerodynamic profile of the aircraft (circular wings and cabin).

To control attitude during cruise flight, the pivot angle and / or thrust of the drive is adjusted. No flaps, rudders, or ailerons are needed. When transitioning between aerial and cruise flight, the drive moves from the vertical position of FIGS. 2 and 3 to the horizontal position of FIG. For this purpose, all drives pivot simultaneously and slowly, for example by about 90 °. Alternatively, the transition may be initiated by pivoting only a portion of the drive while the other drive remains downwardly oriented.

This embodiment of the airplane is designed for vertical landing. For emergency landing, a parachute is located inside the airplane, which, together with a large wing area, is sufficient to weaken the descent. In case of emergency landing, the spring dampening legs 12 provide a shock absorbing area.

When the driving force is lost, the drive can still be pivoted and used as a flap, thus allowing gliding flight. The embodiment of the airplane illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 has an outer diameter of about 8 m and about 29 m ^2.
Has a wing area of. This aircraft can be made of synthetic material and weighs about 2 tons. The maximum take-off weight is 3.6 tons, the redundant engine power is 2 × 1600 horsepower, and the total drive power is 100 KW. Airplanes can easily be scaled up to different sizes.

Depending on the size of the aircraft, the number of drives can vary. It is preferred that there are at least 5 and preferably at least 6 drives. Due to the symmetry of the aircraft and the adoption of several identical drives, the management and maintenance of manufacturing and spare parts is greatly simplified. At the same time, the airplane has a high degree of stability.

In the present embodiment, the circular wing 3 of the airplane is perfectly round. But,
It is possible to form a circular ring from several straight wing sections of the cabin 1 which are arranged substantially tangentially. Alternatively, the wing may have an elliptical shape. The term "circular wing" as used in the claims is intended to encompass all such embodiments.

Other wing shapes, especially triangular wings, may be used as well. The aircraft is suitable as a passenger or freight vehicle. Due to its ability to take off vertically, it can also be used in tight spaces during this flight.

Due to the use of several electric motors for the drives, the aircraft can react very quickly when the applied force changes and is also very mobile. Moreover, due to the large number of drives used, the individual motors are relatively small, which allows them to respond quickly.

During flight in an aerial stop, the speed of the airplane is fairly slow, while the thrust forces that the drives 101-112 must generate must be fairly large. During cruise flight, the speed of the plane is fast, while it may be less propulsive during airborne suspension. Therefore, it is preferable to design the drive to provide high thrust for flight in the air while providing high output air velocity for cruise flight.

One preferred embodiment of a drive device that satisfies this condition is illustrated in FIG. As can be seen, the drive air outlet 40 is formed by a plurality of guide plates 42 arranged to form a widened opening. The outlet diameter D of the guide plate 42 in the position of FIG. 4 is larger than the outlet diameter without the guide plate 42. Typically,
The diameter D can be, for example, 95 cm when the guide plate 42 is provided, and can be 65 cm when the guide plate 42 is not provided. The guide plate 42 can be retracted into the duct 22 to reduce the outlet diameter. Thus, the arrangement of FIG. 4 with extended guide plate 42 and large exit diameter D is used for airborne flight, while guide plate 42 is retracted for cruise flight.

Instead of retracting the guide plate 42 into the duct 22, the guide plate 42 is constructed so that it can be pivoted towards a pivot in the drive device, which reduces the diameter D without retracting. be able to.

Other arrangements for reducing the outlet diameter of the drive are known to those skilled in the art, such as a throttle structure at the outlet opening or a blockage with a stopper plate. The guide plate 42 can be operated by a dedicated servo motor. But,
Preferably, that movement is connected to the pivoting movement of the drive, so that the diameter D automatically reduces when the drive is pivoted from its vertical position to its horizontal position.

As an alternative or in addition to using the adjustable outlet diameter D, the blade angle of the impeller or ventilator 20 can be adjusted. This diameter can be increased during cruise flight and reduced during airborne flight.

While the presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, the invention is not limited thereto but can be embodied and practiced in various ways within the scope of the claims. Should be clearly understood.

[Brief description of drawings]

[Figure 1]   1 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention during cruise flight.

[Fig. 2]   2 is a cross-sectional view of the airplane of FIG. 1 in a takeoff position. FIG.

[Figure 3]   FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the airplane of FIG. 2.

[Figure 4]   It is a fragmentary sectional view of a drive device whose outer diameter is adjustable.

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Claims (22)

[Claims] 1. In an airplane, a central cabin (1), a wing (3) extending at least partially around the cabin, at least one generator (15) for generating electric power, the generator (15) ) Driving at least one engine (14) and an electrically driven drive (101-112) for generating lift and forward thrust, at least a part of which is pivoted from a vertical position to a horizontal position. A device and means for individually adjusting the power of at least a portion of the drive device (101-112), the drive device (101-112) being sufficient to raise the weight of the aircraft in the vertical position. And a driving force is generated in the horizontal position.
An aircraft in which the forward thrust is capable of being generated while the lift is aerodynamically generated by the cabin (1) and the wing (3). 2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein at least some of the drives are individually pivotable. 3. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein each of the pivotable drives is:
An aircraft that is pivotable about a pivot axis, the pivot axes being parallel to each other and perpendicular to the forward direction of the aircraft. 4. Aircraft according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive device (101 to 112) comprises a ducted fan. 5. The aircraft of claim 4, wherein the ducted fan has a variable outlet diameter. 6. Aircraft according to claim 5, having a widened outlet (40) in which a ducted fan can be retracted. 7. The aircraft according to claim 5, wherein the outlet diameter is reduced by pivoting the drive from a vertical position to a horizontal position. 8. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the drive device (1
01-112) arranged in a circle. 9. Aircraft according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the drive (101 to 112) is arranged between the cabin (1) and the wing (3). 10. Aircraft according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the wing (3) is a circular wing. 11. Airplane according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a substantially circular air gap (4) between the cabin (1) and the wing (3), in which drive device ( 101 to 112) are placed in the airplane. 12. An airplane according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the thrust axis of the pivotable drive (101 to 112) is pivotable to a horizontal position which produces a forward thrust of the drive. An aircraft in which the thrust axis is located above the midplane of the wing (3) in the horizontal position. 13. Aircraft according to one of claims 1 to 12, comprising at least five drives (101 to 112). 14. Aircraft according to one of claims 1 to 13, comprising at least six drives (101 to 112). 15. Aircraft according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that each of the drives (101 to 112) comprises a fan with an adjustable blade angle. 16. Aircraft according to one of claims 1 to 15, wherein all the drives (101 to 112) are substantially the same. 17. Aircraft according to one of claims 1 to 16, wherein each drive device comprises an electric motor. 18. An airplane according to one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the drive device is not arranged in a straight line so as to control the pitch and roll of the airplane.
airplane. 19. In particular, in an aircraft according to one of claims 1 to 18, a central cabin (1), a wing (3) extending at least partly around the cabin, and at least one generating electric power. A generator (15), at least one engine (14) for driving the generator (15), arranged between the cabin (1) and the wing (3) so as to generate lift and forward thrust Electrically driven drive (101-112), at least a portion of which is pivoted from a vertical position to a horizontal position. 20. At least one generator (15) for generating electric power, at least one engine (14) for driving the generator, and a power-driven pivotable drive for generating lift and forward thrust. (101 to 112), wherein each of the drive devices steers an aircraft having one thrust axis so that lift can be generated to lift the weight of the aircraft for an aerial stop flight. Adjusting the thrust axis of the drive unit (101 to 112) downward; and to generate forward thrust for cruise flight, the drive unit (101 to 112).
) In the horizontal direction of the thrust axis, the lift of the aircraft is generated by the aerodynamic profile of the airplane during the cruise flight, and the attitude of the airplane tilts the drive device during the flight in the air stopped state. And a method of maneuvering an aircraft, which is controlled exclusively by adjusting the thrust of the drive. 21. At least one generator (15) for generating electric power, at least one engine (14) for driving the generator, and a power-driven center for generating air jets for generating lift and forward thrust. Movable drive device (101 to 1)
12) and wherein each of said drives has a thrust axis for maneuvering an aircraft, and in particular the method of claim 20, wherein a lift is applied to raise the weight of the aircraft for an aerial stop flight. Adjusting the thrust axis of the drive (101-112) downwards so that it can be generated; and for driving the cruise flight the drive (101-112) to generate forward thrust.
Adjusting the thrust axis in a horizontal direction, the lift force being generated by the aerodynamic profile of the aircraft during the cruise flight to reduce the exit diameter of at least some of the drives or Drive an aircraft's exit air speed adjusted to a greater value during cruise flight than during airborne flight by increasing the fan blade angle of at least some fans. Method. 22. A method of operating an aircraft according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the attitude of the aircraft is controlled simply by tilting the drive and adjusting the thrust of the drive.